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Bowden on Ashes umpire list

Billy Bowden has been included in an expanded list of five umpires to officiate during this winter's Ashes series.

The International Cricket Council has named Bowden to stand in a Test for the first time since he was dropped from the elite panel in June.

Bowden will join the four umpires that officiated in the summer’s Investec Ashes: Kumar Dharmasena, Aleem Dar, Marais Erasmus and Tony Hill, who will be used solely as a television official.

Bowden, who has stood in 75 Tests, will make his return in the third match at Perth, before moving into the TV box in Melbourne.

"We felt that we needed to spread the appointments across five umpires for the five Test series, rather than just the four that were used in the UK," the ICC's general manager of cricket Geoff Allardice said in a statement.

"Billy Bowden is the most experienced umpire on the international panel, and understands what is needed for the umpiring team to perform well in high-profile Test matches."

Allardice said that Hill's sole employment as a TV official - he will be used in three of the five Tests - was to help provide consistency in decision-making.

Aleem Dar and Kumar Dharmasena have been named to stand at the Gabba, with Marais Erasmus to be the TV official.